Improvement in switch-alarm connections



T S. HALL.

Con n ection for Railroad Switch Alarms.

No. 90,744. Patented June I, 1869.

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Wil7ve96 56 5 u. PETERS. Plmvflmgnp efi Washington ma UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS S. HALL, OF STAMFORD, ASSIGNOR TO HALLS ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHAND DRAWBRIDGE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CON- NECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCH-ALARM CONNECTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,744, dated June 1,1869.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS S. HALL, ofStamford, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have invented a new andImproved Connection for Switch Alarm and Signal; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improvedsignal connection. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements on the electricrailway-switch for which Letters Patent No. 62,414 were granted to me onthe 26th day of February, 1867.

The present invention relates more particularly to a new mechanism andaction of the switch-connection, and in a new manner of protecting theconnecting-lever.

The connecting apparatus was in the aforesaid Letters Patent representedas arranged below ground, and was therefore diflicult of access andsubject to injury by water or otherwise. In the present case the wholeapparatus is above ground, and protected in a box or case, so as to beready of access and easy to repair.

A in the drawing representsa meta-l or other box or case, containing ona sliding side plate, 13, two (or more or less) cylinders, O C. Withinthe upper part of each cylinder C is secure ly arranged an insulatedblock, D, through which two metal plates, E E, connected with the wiresFF of the battery, are fitted.

Into the lower part of each cylinder is fitted a loose plug, G, carryinga metallic projecting plate, a, which fits between the plates E Ewithout touching the same. The plug G connects with and is fitted on alever, H, which is slotted. I is the lever connecting with the switch.This lever enters the box A at one end andhas projectingpins b b, thatfit through the slots of the levers H, respectively. When the switch isdisplaced the lever I islongitudiually moved, so that the pins b willcause the levers H to swing. Thereby the plugs G are turned to swing thelug a, which is then brought in contact with the plates E E to establishmetallic connection between the wires F F. Thus, whenever the switch isdisplaced the wires are at once connected to establish an electriccurrent by which the signal is operated. When the hinged or movablecover J of the box A is opened the whole inner apparatus can bewithdrawn, as it is attached to the movable plate B.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Conducting thelever I from the switch into a movable box in which the device forestablishing an electric current is contained, substantially as hereinshown and described.

2. Attaching the cylinders C that contain the wire-connecting devicesand their appendages to a movable sliding plate, B, which is arranged ina box, 0, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the cylinder C with the insulated block D, metalplates E E, oscillating plug G, lug a, levers H and I, all arranged andoperating substantially as herein shown and described.

THOMAS S. HALL.

Witnesses:

FRANK BLOCKLEY, SoLoN O. KEMoN.

